Fertilizer attachment to cultivators.



H. A. & T. S. FRANTZ & W. H. TROXBLL.

PERTILIZBP. ATTACHMENT To GULTIVATORS.

APPLICATION FILED' JULY l, 1912.

l ,953,945 Patented Feb.18, 1913.

. thereto. Fig.

upwardly extended angular ANorthampton count-y, and near '4, and the lgang l the traction frame 2,

Specification of Letters Patent. Application filed .uly 1, 1912.

Patented reti, is, i913. Serial No. 706,852.

To all 'whom it may concern Be it known that we, Hman A. FRANTZ,

TILGHMAN S. FRANTZ, and XVILLOUGHBY H. TROXELL, all citizens of the United States, and residents, respectively, of Cherryville,

Copley, ,Lehigh count-y, all in the State of Pennsylvania,- have invented certa-in new and useful Improvements in Fertilizer Attachments to Cultivators, of which the following is a specification.

Our invention relates to an improved fertilizer attachment for cultivators, in which the fertilizer hopper is mounted directly upon the traction frame of the cultivator and the feed spider thereof is adapted to be operated as desired by a drive beltl carried by one of the supporting wheels of the cultivator; the improved arrangement of the fertilizer mechanism in connection with the cultivator being fully described by reference to the accompanying' thawing,- and the novel features being specifically pointed 4 out in the claims. 25`

portion of -a cultivator of side elevation showing a known general having our invention applied Figure 1 is a construction,

the line 2-2 plan view. y

The drawing indicates t-he traction frame 2 of a riding cultivator, the supporting Wheels 3 loosely mounted on tixedaxle arms, beams 5 having upwardly inclined forward portions pivotally connected to the traction frame.

In our improved construction the fertilizer mechanism is mounted directly upon a cross-beam being provided upon the latter to which are secured standards 11, 12 and 13 as shown, and the fertilizer hopper 15 being fixed upon the standards 11 and 12 midway of the width of the frame. The hopper bottom 16 is provided with feed outlets 17 and valved discharge spouts 18 extending therefrom to properly .located delivery terminals, andthe feed-spider 20 within it is engaged upon the hub 2l of a gear Wheel 22 by which itis rotated so as to insure uniform delivery of the fertilizer', said gear wheel being carried, as indicated, by the fixed of Fig. 1. Fig.4

3 is a partial outlet cover plate QBwithin the hopper.

'2 is a cross-sectional view onV .The driving mechanism for the feedl spider 20 comprises a transversely arranged drive shaft 25, which is rotatably mounted in suitable bearings in the standards 11, 12, I and' 13, and is provided with a 26 arranged in mesh with the gear wheel l 22'of the spider and with a belt wheel 30 adjacent its outer end. This shaft is driven directly from one of the supporting wheels 3 of the cultivator, said wheel having cent-rally fixed to the lside thereof a flanged belt wheel 81 from which a drive belt- 32 extends to the shaft wheel 30. The shaft 25 carries a swinging arm 35 having Aan idler pulley 3G at the free end thereof to take up the slack of the drive belt; and the shaft wheel is mounted loosely on the shaft, as shown, and' is iixed yto or released from the latter by means of a sliding ciutch 37- thereon, controlled by a conveniently arranged operating lever 38 therefor, so as to permit of throwing the feed spider out of action when desired. o

lt, will be seen that our invention thus ,provides for a veryjsiinple application of 4the fertilizer mechanism to the cultivator yand for the satisfactory operation of said mechanism simultaneously' with the operation of the cultivator.

1. In combination with a cultivator com- ,prising a traction frame, axle arms fixed thereto, and supporting wheels rotatable on -said axle arms; a crossbeam on said frame: l spaced vstandards on said' beam provided with drive-shaft bearings;

provided with a bottom having vdischarge -spouts,l a fixed cover plate above said discharge spouts; a rotary feed-spider between said' cover plate and the-hopper bottom; a drive gear below said bot-tom having an angular hub engaged in said spider and bearing hubs `iournaled respectively in said hopper bottom and cover plate; a spider drive shaft mounted in said standards; and coperating drive-belt wheels fixed respec' tively to said shaft and to one of said supporting wheels, substantially as set forth.

In combination with a cultivator comprising a traction frame, axle arms fixed thereto, and supporting wheels rotatable on i said axle arms; a cross-beam on said' traine;

a fertilizer hopper xedlymounted on said standards and pinion wheel spaced standards on said beam provided mechanism for fixing or releasing said' shaft with drve-shaft bearings; a fertilizer hopdrive Wheel, substantially as set forth. perxediy mounted on said standards and In testimony whereof, we aix our signaprovided with a bottom having discharge tures, n the presence of two Witnesses.

5 Spouts and with a rotary feed-Spider upon HIRAM AL FRANT the bottom thereof havmg a drive gear TILGHMAN S. FRANTA therefor below saidl bottom' a spider drive l shaft mounted in said standards; a drive- WILLOUGHBY TROXELL' beit Wheel fixed to one of said supporting Vtnesses: 10 wheels; a, cooperating drive-belt wheel H. H. HOWER,

looseiy mounted ou said shaft; and a clutch A. H. HAHN. 

